August 21, 1909 — Times were hard for Phineas Q. Sneed, a journeyman woodworker and croquet ball polisher in Philadelphia. The bottom had dropped out of the croquet market, his dog Buster was recovering from expensive surgery, and most frustrating of all, his latest woodworking project, a long coffee table, had begun to warp at one end. In frustration, he flung a croquet ball at the table and watched it roll to the bent end, launch into the air, and fly into the startled mouth of Buster — and in that instant, the million-dollar pastime of Skee-Ball was born.
I’m saving my tickets to get a stuffed Buster, Sharon H.
